Corset.



Patenten Apk. 3, 1900. M. T. nouns.

consu.

(Application filed lAug. 28, 1899.)

(No Model.)

253132272 JZzZmW/.zwomj UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON rr. DODDs, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

CORSET.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,685, dated April 3,1900.

Applicationiiled August 2S, 1899. Serial No. 728,658. (N0 mdel.)

To all whoml t may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON T. DODDS, of Aurora, in the -county of Kaneand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Corsets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference bein ghad to the accompanyingdrawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification. l

This invention relates to improvements in corsets; and it consists,essentially, in providing that portion of the corset where the ribs,bones, or steels thereof are subjected to the greatest breakingstrain-to wit, what-is commonly known as the side of the corset-withauxiliary bones or ribs arranged in separate pockets from thoseinclosing the ordinary ribs and in such manner that the auxiliary rib orribs will not be in direct contact with the main boues or ribs of thecorset, all as illustrated and hereinafter described, and morepart-icularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure l shows a perspectiveview of a corset havingmyimprovementappliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional View, enlarged, taken upn the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atransverse or horizontal sectional view, enlarged, taken upon the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. t is a View similar to that shown in Fig. 3, butillustrating a modified form of the invention.

In the drawings, A represents the fabric of which the corset is made.

B represents the usual longitudinal cloth pockets thereon, eachcontaining a rib B of steel or'bone, as the case may be, and sewed alongtheir sides to the fabric A by stitches ZJ b in the usual manner. Thesebones or steels B extend throughout the pockets B, which latter extend,as usual, from the top to the bottom margins of the corset. Thesefeatures of construction are old and form no part.

of my inventiomexcept as hereinafter claimed in combination.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. l, 2,and 3, C represents arelatively-narrow cloth or fabric, to which is attached, by means ofstitches d, a cloth pocket D, preferably as long as the cloth C is wide,and in which pocket is confined the ribs, steels, or bones E. The clothC is bound at c at its upper and lower D, a complete covering is madefor the ribs E. This cloth C maybe secured to the main fabric Ain anyordinary manner; but I have shown in Fig. 3 a convenient method ofsecuring the same-namely, by having the side edges of the fabric Cplaced over adjacent ribs B', whereby the same stitches Z9 that securethe pocket B B to the fabric A will also secure the fabric C to the mainfabric or body A of the corset, as will be clearly understood byreference to Fig. 3. It will be observed, however, that this;construction leaves the cloth C entirely free at the upper and lowermargins c, so that said cloth C and its contained rib or steel E willnormally cover a portion of the subjacent main rib or steel B.

The rib or steel E is, however, entirely clear and independent of therib B beneath it. There is aclear space (exaggerated, perhaps, andlettered e in Fig. 3) between the cloth C and the main fabric Athat isto say, in placing the cloth C in position to be sewed to thel maincloth A it is not stretched taut, but is left with sufficient loosenessto provide the slight space e necessary to insure freedom of movement.

It will be noticed that the width of the cloth C, and consequently thelength of the auxiliary rib or bone E, is less than the height of thecorset and is only such as to extend over that part subjected togreatest strainnamely, the sides thereofand that it does not extend fromthe top to the bottom of the corset, as plainly indicated in Figs. l and2. By this construction I find that the auxiliary rib or steel acts uponthe subjacent main rib or steel B very much in the same manner as thesuperposed section of the ordinary leafsprings of a vehicle act, thusgreatly strengthening the corset at this vital point and addingmaterially to its length of service.

I do not confine myself to the use of a single auxiliary rib E, as shownin Figs. l and .2. In some of the cheaper grades of corsets I may usebut a single rib; but in those grades bringing better prices on themarket I would prefer to use two or more auxiliary ribs.

l Fig. 4' illustrates one modification of the invention-namely, that inwhich two auxiliary ribs are employed. It will be observed that in thisinstance the cloth C is length- IOO cned so as to cover two of the wideor main ribs B B and one intermediate narrower rib B2. rlhe method ofattaching the cloth Cwith the short auxiliary ribs E in this instance isprecisely the same as that previously described, as is very plainlydisclosed in Fig. 4.

I also desire to state that I do notlimit myself to the use of anyparticular style of auxiliary steel or bone. The bones of the maincorset may be whalebones or thin steel, and t-he auxiliary bones may beof the same or of different material. If of the same material as that ofthe main corset-bones, they may be thicker or thinner, tougher or moreresilient, according to fancy, the essential feature being that ashortauxiliary bone or steel iuclosed in a Aseparate pocket is placed overthe weakest part of the corset, so as to have an independent action andmovement of the steel.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned increase in thedurability of the corset, a reduction in the breakage of side ribs orsteels, and a retention of the shape of the corset i'or a greater periodthan without such rib.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. A corset having the usual bone-pockets on its exterior surface,and anauxiliary pocket located over one of the principal pockets, and havingtherein an auxiliary bone or rib, said auxiliary pocket being unattachedto the corset at its upper and lower ends and attached throughoutitslength at its edges to the corset by the saine stitches which attach theadjacent principal pocket.

2. A corset having the usual bone-pocket on its exterior surface,and anauxiliary pocket located over one of the principal pockets, and havingtherein an auxiliary bone or rib, said auxiliary pocket being unattachedto the corset at its upper and lower ends and attached throughout itslength at its edges to the corset by the same stitches which attach theadjacent principal pocket, and the auxiliary pocket being made of lesslength than the principal pocket.

A corset having the usual bone-pockets on its exterior surface, bones orribs in said pockets, and a strip of cloth which overlies one of saidpockets and having its opposite margins inserted between the nextadjacent pockets, and the bones or ribs therein, and secured to the bodyof the corset by the same line of stitches which secure said adjacentpockets to the corset, said strip being provided centrally thereof overthe pocket intermediate to said lastmentioned pockets with alongitudinal auxiliary pocket and a bone or rib inserted in saidauxiliary pocket.

4. A corset having the usual bone-pockets on its exterior surface, bonesor ribs in said pockets, and a strip of cloth which overlies one of saidpockets and having its opposite margins inserted between the nextadjacent pocket and the bones or ribs therein, and secured to the bodyof the corset by the same line of stitches which secure the saidadjacent pockets to the corset, said strip being provided centrallythereof over the pocket intermediate to said last-mentioned pockets witha longitudinal auxiliary pocket and a bone or rib inserted in saidauxiliary pocket, said pocket being closed at its upper and lower endsand unattached tothe body of the corset-at such places.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invent-ion I affix mysignature,in presence of two witnesscs,this 25th day of August,A. D.1899.

MiL'roN rr. DoDDs.

litnessesz TAYLOR E. BROWN, MYRTA KNAPP.

